1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer systems, and more particularly to methods and computer readable media for generating a page file representing a compact disc label sheet having a blank label thereon for one or both of a compact disc case or a compact disc, wherein the page file may be used to generate a custom label for the compact disc case or the compact disc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, compact disc (CD) recording technology has made substantial advancements that have enabled casual computer users to digitally record all types of data on CD media. As is well known, for example, MP3 tracks may be downloaded into computer storage, and then written onto new blank CD media supplied by the computer user. The user thereby makes CDs having customized musical or other data recorded thereon.
Having recognized advantages of having customized labels available for such users to attach to their custom CD media, label vendors have supplied CD label sheets for purchase by such users. Such CD label sheets are generally two dimensional pieces of material that support one or more labels, such as labels for CD cases that protect the CDs, or labels for the CDs themselves. Such labels are generally unprinted, i.e., they are blank labels (i.e., devoid of any marking) so that the user may provide custom text or designs on the blank labels. The pieces of material may support the blank labels at any of various locations on the pieces of material. The particular location(s) at which the one or more blank labels are supported on a given piece of material may be referred to as a xe2x80x9cgeometric layout configuration.xe2x80x9d Each of the vendor-supplied pieces of material may also have vendor-printed indicia thereon, such as icons, printed logos or text, for example. Such vendor-printed indicia are not printed within the perimeters of the blank labels, and may be referred to as xe2x80x9cnon-geometric configurations.xe2x80x9d Such vendor-printed indicia are different from the label blanks for the CD cases or CDs in that generally the user does not add any indicia to the vendor-printed indicia.
The CD blank labels that may be provided on the CD label sheets are generally two dimensional blanks of material. Each such blank label is removably supported on the CD label sheet, such as by having a self-stick adhesive on the back thereof. The CD label sheet has a coating of material from which the self-stick adhesive is easily removable. The blank label may have any one of various geometric shapes, and is adapted to receive information in the form of printing media, such as printer toner. Such information may, for example, be customizing information selected by the user for a customized label. The perimeter of a particular blank label may be defined by scoring or another type of cut that separates the perimeter of the particular blank label from the rest of a two dimensional piece of material on the CD label sheet surrounding the blank label.
In the past, users have purchased such CD label sheets with the blank labels described above. Such users have tried to use currently available software to operate computer printers (label printing software) to print on such blank labels. However, such label printing software is generally sold with only a few page files corresponding to CD labels, or case labels, that were available at the time the label printing software was designed. The software vendor will have known the exact various locations of the blank labels on the then-available CD labels sheets. Therefore, for a known label sheet, the corresponding page file included with the label printing software enables appropriate commands to be given to print onto the locations on the CD label sheet at which the blank labels are located.
In the past, when the user has purchased CD label sheets for which the label printing software has no corresponding page file (xe2x80x9cnewxe2x80x9d CD label sheets), the user has had to manually measure the locations of the blank labels that are on the purchased new CD label sheet to provide label location data. The label location data has then been entered by hand into a new page file in the label printing software. It may be understood that in addition to being a very time-consuming process, such manual measurement is often erroneous, and even if accurate, the manual entering of such label location data into the page file may result in errors. In any event, the need to make such measurements very accurately, and the need to be very accurate in performing such data entry, have significantly detracted from the usefulness of such label printing software.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for computer-implemented methods, and computer readable media, to automatically generate page files representing various new compact disc label sheets having blank labels thereon for one or both of a compact disc case or a compact disc, wherein the page files may be used to generate custom labels for the compact disc cases or the compact discs.
Broadly speaking, the present invention fills these needs by providing methods and computer readable media for generating a page file representing a compact disc label sheet having a blank label thereon for one or both of a compact disc case or a compact disc, wherein the page file may be used to generate a custom label for the compact disc case or the compact disc. It should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, computer readable media, or a device. Several inventive embodiments of the present invention are described below.
In one embodiment, a method for generating a page file representing a compact disc label sheet is disclosed. The label sheet may have at least one blank label thereon for one or both of a compact disc case and a compact disc. The method begins by providing the compact disc label sheet having one, for example, of the blank labels thereon. The sheet may support the blank label at any of a plurality of locations on the sheet. The sheet with the blank label supported at a particular location may be said to define a particular geometric layout configuration. The sheet may also have at least one image thereon in addition to the one exemplary blank label. The method continues by optically accenting the particular geometric layout configuration, and then scanning the optically accented particular geometric layout configuration to generate a digital representation of the compact disc label sheet having the exemplary one of the blank labels thereon. Then, all of the images are excluded from the digital representation of the compact disc label sheet so that the remaining digital representation represents only the exemplary one of the blank labels. The remaining digital representation is analyzed to determine the location on the sheet of the exemplary label. A new page file is then created to represent the compact disc label sheet having the exemplary one blank label thereon. The page file includes data as to the location on the sheet of the exemplary one blank label.
In another embodiment, a method is provided for adding to a list of paper label templates a page file representing a new CD label sheet. The CD label sheet may have at least one CD blank label thereon, such as an exemplary two blank labels. The method may begin by automatically analyzing the new CD label sheet to provide data representing the layout of the exemplary two blank labels on the sheet. A new .INI file is generated. The data is inserted into the new .INI file; and the new .INI file is appended to the list of paper label templates so that a user may create labels using the blank labels on the new CD label sheets.
In still another embodiment, a method is provided for converting a digital representation to a page file. The digital representation represents a CD label sheet having at least one CD blank label and at least one image thereon in addition to the at least one CD blank label. For example, three CD blank labels and one image (a logo, for example), may be provided. The method may begin by excluding from the digital representation of the CD label sheet all of the images thereon, so that one image is excluded. In this manner, the remaining digital representation represents only the exemplary three CD blank labels. Then, label layout dimensions are automatically measured from the remaining digital representation to determine the location on the sheet of each of the exemplary three blank labels. The method then creates a new page file representing the CD label sheet having the exemplary three blank labels thereon. The page file includes data as to the location on the sheet of each of the exemplary three blank labels.
In still another embodiment, computer readable media is provided for generating a page file representing a CD label sheet having at least one blank label thereon, such as an exemplary one blank label for a CD case and one blank label for a CD. The sheet may support these two exemplary blank labels at any of a plurality of locations on the sheet. The sheet with the two exemplary blank labels supported at a particular location defines a particular geometric layout configuration. The sheet may also have at least one image, for example, thereon in addition to the two exemplary labels. The exemplary two blank labels have the particular geometric layout configuration optically accented. The operations of the computer readable media begin by providing program instructions for receiving scanner output data resulting from scanning such optically accented particular geometric layout configuration. The scanner output data is a digital representation of the optically accented CD label sheet having the exemplary two blank labels thereon. Also, there are program instructions for excluding from the digital representation of the optically accented CD label sheet all of the images thereon so that the remaining digital representation represents only the exemplary two blank labels. Further program instructions analyze the remaining digital representation to determine the location on the sheet of each of the two exemplary blank labels; and then create a new page file representing the CD label sheet having the two exemplary blank labels thereon. The page file includes data as to the location on the sheet of each of the two blank labels. In still another embodiment, computer readable media is provided having program instructions for adding to a list of paper label templates a page file representing a new CD label sheet having at least one CD blank label thereon, for example, having a spline case blank label and a CD blank label. The operations of the computer readable media include program instructions for automatically analyzing the new CD label sheet to provide label sheet data representing the layout of the exemplary spline case blank label and CD blank label. Further program instructions generate a new, INI file. Then additional program instructions are provided for inserting the label sheet data into the new .INI file. There are also program instructions for appending the new .INI file to the list of paper label templates.
In still another embodiment, computer readable media is provided having program instructions for converting a digital representation to a page file. The digital representation represents a CD label sheet having at least one CD blank label and at least one image thereon in addition to the at least one CD blank label. For example, one spline blank label and one CD blank label may be on the CD label sheet with three groups of text as the images. The operations of the computer readable media may include program instructions for excluding from the digital representation of the CD label sheet all of the images thereon (e.g., the three groups of text) so that the remaining digital representation represents only the exemplary spline blank label and CD blank label. Also, program instructions are provided for measuring label layout dimensions from the remaining digital representation to determine the location on the sheet of each of the spline blank label and CD blank label. Then, program instructions create a new page file representing the CD label sheet having the spline blank label and the CD blank label, so that the page file includes data as to the location on the sheet of each of the spline blank label and the CD blank label.
Advantageously, using the above methods and computer readable media of the present invention, when the user buys CD label sheets for which the user""s label printing software has no corresponding page file (i.e., the xe2x80x9cnewxe2x80x9d CD label sheets), the user need not manually measure the locations of the blank labels that are on the purchased new CD label sheet to provide label location data. Rather, data generated by a scanner may be used by such method and computer readable media. Further, the user need not enter any label location data into a page file provided by the label printing software. Rather, the method and computer readable media of the present invention avoid these very time-consuming processes, and avoid the erroneous manual measurement and data entry operations. Additionally, absent the need to make such measurements very accurately, and the need to be very accurate in performing such data entry, the usefulness of such label printing software is enhanced, so that once again users will have an incentive to purchase such label printing software and new CD label sheets.